Insulating construction



C. B. LAWTON.

INSULATNG CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATxoN FILED :uw 25,1919.

Patgnted Apr. 18, i322.

UNITED STATES PATENT worrlcls.1

.CHARLES B. LAw'roN, or HUNTINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA." v

INSULATING CONSTRUCTION.

To all wltom 'it may concern;

Be it'known that I, CHARLES B. LAw'roN,

a citizen'of theV United States, and a resident of Huntington, in thecounty of Cabell and State of VVes't Virginia, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Insulating Co'nstructions,'of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to insulating walls or the like, and moreespecially refrigerating constructions. Its object is to provide a wallhaving a large proportion of interior space with a considerable vacuumtherein,

and with its joints so formed that it will be impervious to the'passageof air.

A further object is to construct such awall of bricks or units ofuniform size Vand shape, respective sides ofwhich will constitute theface of the wall. 'Further objects willv appear in the course of theensuing description. My invention consists in the improved construct-ionand in the details and arrangement of parts thereof and in thebrick orunit as a new and improved article of manufacture, which willhereinafter be more fully described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view of one of the bricks or units embodying myinvention, showing the sealed and collapsed end'and one of the paneledsides:

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the brick or unit reversed and inverted toshow the opposite end and opposite sides:

Fig. 3 is a yview corresponding to Fig. 1 but showing a modification;

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of part of a wall constructedaccording to my invention with the use of bricks as shown in Figs. 1and'2; y

Fig. 5 isa vertical cross-section of the same ony 'a plane correspondingto the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;'

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the bricks or units tif-Figs.land 2 after it is blown butwith its neck extended and unsealed; 1

Fig-7 is a similar view of the same with the neck `extended and VsealedFig. 8 is a partial verticallongitudinal section similar to Fig. 4 butshowing other modifications of bricks or units and showing how theirends are assembled; and l Fig. 9 is asimilar view similarlyillustratingy another modification of the bricks or units.

1919. Serial No. 313,401. y Y' specincation ofrettersratent. PatentedApr, 18, 1922 Application lea July 25, Y

According tO ,Iny invention the bricks or construction umts are composedof glass or`l other suitable material having a high-de v Y gree ofductility when heated to a practical degree. l f

The use of such material permits the bricks or units tobe blown intohollow shape 1 in the same way as bottles are made. This permits thesebricks or units tobe made with their hollow interiors completelysecluded from the atmosphere; so, that it is thus posi- .f l' f sible tohave a high degree of vacuumthere.

l by suitably Providinefor 'a diminishai` 70 quantity of air, in thecourse ofv the' process kof seallng the brick or unit.

It is preferable to .provide the neck` on y one of the ends of thebrick;and .in the-,pre-

ferred construction herein, the-end .that has 'Y 37.5 lso that therewillbev no extension ofv the theneck is collapsed inwardly of the brickvneck beyond the normalend of the brick. l

The collapsing isy accomplishedmore readl if. ily 1f the brick is ofsymmetricalcross-sec It is notnecessary however, to have such al tion.

brick or unit circular in cross-section;-Y andz vit will beseen that themost, practical sym- A metrical shape is. that of an equal-sided rec` ftangle as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. vFor pur-AVA poses which will appearin the later descripv tion vof the construction of a wallor the like A uwith the use of these bricks, it is desirable Y. thatthe upper and lowersides of the bricks.

which receive the mortar, cement or the like between the bricks, shouldbe depressed but with a continuous rim therearound. The

Aface sides of the bricks are preferably plain.-

It is likewise desirable that both ends of.

the bricks should be depressed; these have purposes additional to `thatof depressing one of the ends for retractingthe sealed neck.

Answering to these requirements, the brick constructed as shown in Figs.1l and 2 has a plain front face 1 and a. plain rear face -2, the paneledtop 3 and the paneledbottom 4, the depressed end 5, comprising thesealed neck 6 retracted therewith inside the normal facev of the end ofthe brick and theopposite" 4"thereof-.to conine'fthe neck-'6inside'the'fnorfvbricks,^practically no lexposure of adhesive tion.;Theyiv may be twider than-high as shown infFig.'A 3; Here/1 theconstruction of the bri'ckf-is 'substantially the same as just dey,scribed-with'the-faces such as the-face 1 andVVEthejpanele'd''top'and'bottom as,` the top 3 withflits'lfrontland rearribs 8 and9. Inl any of' these'iexamples," thef: tops land Abottoms `orthe-Sends of ftheibri'ckrare also collapsed, not onlyin-order itoprovide for vthe depression mal/'end'v surfaces-'but for the reasonsherein# after toibegivenlf \Thus,f as 'here shown, these'I endsv haveonly the 1 upright normal -surfaces or1ribs'ff12andthe upper and lowerend ribs 1Of'atthe--endsiof 'the brick are curved 'in-11 wardfalongfwiththe-respective ends;

'Ihewallv` 13 fis" constructedv of such bricks as thes'every -much inthe ordi-nary manner so far as concerns* the 'Y relative arrangement Vofthe bric"ks,\that4 is the joints of the successive I1courses'arel.b'rok'en as shown in -F ig. 4'.-

However,` by this arrangement 1n conjunctionwiththe depressed or paneledformation l oflth'e topsand bottoms and ends ofthe or bindingysubstances Ais-necessary on'the face ofi-'the -wall `in the-'jointsbetween the bricks,v v

Thisis accomplished without vleaving any vcrevic'econtinuous through thewall; so that course; Also, where the'ends `of the bricks are open-"atthe tops and bottoms the adhesive15 between the-ends is continuous withthe adhesives 14 in the horizontal joints.

This adhesive being continuous entirely around every one of the bricksor units of the wall and being closely adherent to the bricks, it isthus permissible for the ribs 8,

9 and 12 of the adjacent bricks to come against each other, thus formingvery closely fitted and well appearing joints.

It is especially desirable on the face of the wall in conjunction withthe use of glass or similar bricks having very smooth and Ywellappearing faces.

The close contactof all bricks in these parts is clearly seen in Fig. 5.As before said, these bricks are preferably blown into shape; and 'inthe first stages of their manufacture the operation will not materiallydiffer from those in the first stages of manufacturing of bottles.

In fact as seen in Fig.' 6, the brick'at the completion of these stageswhenstanding on its closed end very much resembles a square paneled,bottle with a short neck.

However, the next stage in makingthesef bricks is to-sealfthese necksr`by melting'or" weldingr the material thereof--sojfthat' the articlethen appears as showninfFigL7. The *j desiredv degree of `vacuum maybeprovided-'- .either by exhausting most'of theairfrom the interior of thebrick-while1itsneck y6 is i still fopen asin Fig. 'andthensealingfthe'fl brickv while this exhaustion offthefair-y ismaintained. Or the brick may l`have its neck 'sealed as'inl- Fig. 7while the entiifebrick-'is a still comparatively hoty and thus-has.aljcom`= final cooling ofthe brick, leavesfa-consider-v able vacuumtherein.

wall any considerable excess ofpatmospheric Inthis latter connection itmaybe said-v that collapsing of the fiat wallsof'thebricks will notoccur, because the contained lrareied air Will coollsufliciently.to'irnpose'onthisf paratively small quantity ofhighly*frarefied` i v`air in it, which air, contracting-@'auponlthe@ serpressure only after the walls themselveshave cooled suiiiciently tobecome amply self-sus# taining against such excess. The neck-6.0i'

. the brick may be left extending asin f-F'ig. '7v

if the opposite end 7 is depressed lsuicientlyl- Vso that each brickreceives'in this "depressed oppositeend yI the extending neck 6 of :the

adjacent brick as shown in Fig.. 8.

As shown in Fig. 9 if- 44the end I5 having.; the neck 6 is depressed,the opposite end may be left undepressed, as the end 7".

Either of' these examples also Y pern'iits elimination of appearance ofthe adhesiveon the face of the wall, withoutsacrificingl any of theimperviousness ofthe construction.

While vcertain constructionaldetails are ydeemed preferable inconnection with my inL vention, and we have' shown and described? theserather .specifically in elucidating the construction and use of myinvention, as is` required, I do not wish `tobe-understood vas beinglimited to such precise showing'and" description, but having thus fullyAdescribed" my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure byLetters Patent is: v

1. An insulating construction comprisingk an assemblage of hollow glassbricks each of rectangular cross-sectionv with all adjacent surfacesdepressed but with the longitudinal edges of their faces in contact, alayer of cement between and filling lthe/depressed sur# faces of theadjacent bricks and confined` thereto away from said edges, eachglassbrick having a material degree of vacuum in teriorly thereof and saidbricks, when so laid as to break joint,`each lbrickv havingfalcontinuous lager of cement around its sides'v and ends an between theadjacent bricks and said cement being confined therein and concealedfrom view on either side, each`V brick having a neck extendingoutwardlyin an inwardly collapsed end whereby there-is no extension of the neckbeyond the normal l end of the brick and said neck being completelyembedded in the cement, substantially as set forth and for the purposesspecified.

2. An insulating construction comprising an assemblage of hollow glassbricks each of rectangular cross-section with all adjacent surfacesdepressed but with the. longitudinal edges of their faces in contact, alayer of cement between and filling the depressed surfaces of theadjacent bricks and confined thereto away from said edges, each glassbrick having a material degree of vacuum interiorly thereof and saidbricks, when so laid as to break joint, each brick having a continuouslayer of cement around its Sides and ends and between the adjacentbricks and said cement being confined therein and concealed from view onthe respective contacting sides and ends` substantially as set forth andfor the purposes specified.

3. An insulating construction comprising an assemblage of hollow glassbricks each of rectangular crosssection with all adjacent surfacesdepressed but with the longitudinal Yedges of their fares in contact,cach end of each brick being curved inwardly and having a recess and oneof said ends having an outwardly extending neck, a layer between andfilling the depressed-surfaces of the adjacent bricks and confinedthereto away from said edge and embedding said neck. each glass brickhaving a material degree of vacuum interiorly thereof and said bricks,when so laid as to break joint, each brick having a continuous layer ofcement around its sides and ends and between the adjacent bricks andsaid cement being confined therein and concealed from view on eitherside, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

CHARLES B. LAWTO'N.

Witnesses:

JAMES N. RAMSEY, CLARENCE PERDEW.

